In photovoltaics, for many years, there have already been approaches for working with concentrated solar radiation. In this case, the radiation from the sun is concentrated by means of mirrors and/or lenses, and directed onto specific concentrator solar cells. Corresponding systems of concentrating photovoltaics (CPVs) are currently being tested in the Spanish Solar Research Institute (Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentracion (ISFOC)) in Castile at Puertollano. They concentrate the sunlight using lenses or mirrors to four hundred- to thousand-fold intensity before it impinges on small solar cells, which are significantly more efficient than traditional silicon solar cells.
In this respect, the following prior art is cited from the patent literature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,805 discloses a photovoltaic power module, substantially comprising the following features:
An arrangement of photovoltaic semiconductor crystal cells, distributed in individual cell locations in a layered substrate, wherein these are enclosed by two electrically conductive layers and separated by means of an insulating layer. Furthermore, this module consists of a light-conveying layer composed of lenses, which is arranged at a distance from the layered substrate, wherein incident radiation is focused into the substrate in the light-conveying layer by means of the lens, and wherein the total thickness of the lens layer, of the substrate layer and of the space therebetween is approximately 2 inches.
DE 10 2006 007 472 A1 discloses a photovoltaic concentrator module comprising a lens plate and a baseplate, on which solar cells are accommodated, and a frame, wherein the frame connecting the lens plate and the baseplate is arranged circumferentially along the edge of the lens plate and the baseplate.
This known concentrator module is intended to be improved to the effect that it can be produced cost-effectively, has a long service life, and allows simple and flexible integration of additional components that cannot be accommodated, or can be accommodated only with difficulty, on the lens plate or the baseplate. Furthermore, the intention is to develop a method that makes it possible to produce such concentrator modules.
The problem stated here is solved by virtue of the fact that along the frame between the lens plate and the frame and/or the baseplate and the frame, firstly, at least one first sealing compound and/or adhesive compound and, secondly, at least one second sealing compound are arranged circumferentially at least on part of the length of the frame, wherein the two sealing and/or adhesive compounds differ with regard to their curing time and/or gas permeability.
Claim 57, of the above-mentioned document, claims a method for producing a photovoltaic concentrator module according to any of the preceding claims, which is characterized by the following features:
Namely, that a frame connecting a lens plate and a baseplate is arranged along the edge of the lens plate and the baseplate, and that between the frame and the lens plate and/or the frame and the baseplate firstly at least one first sealing compound and/or adhesive compound and secondly at least one second sealing compound are introduced circumferentially along the frame over at least part of its length, wherein the two sealing and/or adhesive compounds differ with regard to their curing times and/or gas permeabilities.
The fact that one of the adhesive compounds serves for fixing a plate during the production process by means of UV light cannot be inferred here.
DE 10 2010 016 675 A1 describes a photovoltaic module, a method for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic cells and a device for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic cells.
In accordance with Claim 11 of the abovementioned document, a method for electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic cells is claimed here, wherein the method comprises the following features:                1) applying a first plurality of contact wires on a front side of a first photovoltaic cell,        2) applying a second plurality of contact wires on a rear side of the first photovoltaic cell,        3) applying the first plurality of contact wires on a rear side of a second photovoltaic cell, and        4) applying the second plurality of contact wires on a front side of the second photovoltaic cell, wherein        5) the first plurality of contact wires and the second plurality of contact wires are arranged in a manner offset with respect to one another.        
As an indication similar to the problem, it can be inferred from DE 10 2010 016 675 A1 that the intention is to create an improved photovoltaic module, that is to say, that the contact structure of the photovoltaic cell and the number and dimensioning of the contact ribbons (contact wires) are optimized in combination.